Three Detectives and a Baby
by Five-O Fanatics
Summary: When a baby girl is found abandoned in Danny's car, Five-O has a new case on their hands as well as day-care duty. A response to a writer's challenge, written by Tanith2011 and honu59
1. Chapter 1

**Three Detectives and a Baby**

**Written By: "Tanith2011" and "honu59"**

_**AN: We hope you'll enjoy reading our tale as much as we had fun writing it.**_

Part 1

The atmosphere in Steve McGarrett's office was one of jubilation and the satisfying feeling that justice had been served. With the Bob Marshall case finally under wraps and the murderer safely behind bars, Five-O found some air to breathe.

"Well, gentlemen, I think this calls for a small celebration," Steve announced to the room at large as he gave each of his men a wary but warm smile.

"We sure earned it, Boss!" Kono piped in.

Steve chuckled and looked at his second-in-command whose eyelids were drooping. "Danno, you look like you haven't slept in days. Are you sure you're up for it?"

"Are you kidding, Steve? It's a beautiful day outside," Danny replied with a grin.

"What are we waiting for? If we hurry, we may catch the rest of the parade," McGarrett replied before retrieving his navy blue sports jacket from the coat tree and heading for the door.

In high spirits, the three men left the office and made their way down the Palace steps to the entrance hall. Bidding the security guards a good day, they headed for their LTDs.

Just as Danny slipped his key into the driver side door, he jiggled it out again. _Something's not right. The lock…_ Danny squinted through the window and saw that the door was unlocked. _Can't be! I know I locked it. Someone must've jimmied the lock!_ A little uneasy, Danny slowly pulled the handle and opened the door. He poked his head inside to see if anything looked out of sorts when from the corner of his eye he saw movement coming from the backseat. He jerked his head to the side and peered over the front seats to find a small bundle nestled in the middle of the back seat. Danny's Pacific blue eyes widened and his mouth hung open in surprise. He shook his head then returned his gaze to the back seat. The bundle was still there. Okay, maybe Steve was right. I do need to get some sleep, Danny thought to himself. He blinked his eyes several times but each time he opened them, it was still there. He tried rubbing his tired eyes but only succeeded in causing them more pain, a result of the fatigue from which they were already suffering. Despite the blurriness obscuring his vision, he could still see that the bundle had not disappeared.

"Everything all right, Danno?" Steve called out as he stood watching the young man leaning across the driver's seat of the LTD. _Don't tell me he fell asleep getting into the car._ When no answer was forthcoming, he cocked an eyebrow at Kono who shrugged and wandered over to the detective in question. Like Steve, he too had been eyeing Danny's strange behaviour.

Unable to tear himself away from the sight that had greeted him, Danny didn't even hear Steve or Kono calling out. A tap on his back not only broke his trance-like state but also caused his reflexes to kick in.

Kono winced as Danny's head collided with the doorframe and he jumped backward.

"Kono!" Danny gasped as he reached up and rubbed at the lump forming beneath the sandy curls on his head.

"Sorry," Kono replied sympathetically and shrugged.

"Kono, there's…there's a baby in my car," Danny spluttered, pointing at the backseat.

Kono raised his eyebrows at the slighter man before him. Da kaikaina must've hit his head pretty hard.

"I'm serious!" Danny almost snapped, getting annoyed at the way Kono simply stood looking at him in a concerned-for-his-mental-state fashion.

Feeling a little foolish, Kono sighed and peered inside the car. His soft brown eyes widened as he saw a small round face poking out from beneath the bundle, smiling up at him.

"Something you'd like to share with us, Danno?" The sound of Steve's voice caught both the younger men's attention. Danny whipped his head up and saw his mentor standing next to Kono, peering through the back passenger window. A loud thump and a grunt later, Kono's head reappeared.

"Steve! Dere's a baby in da car!" Kono exclaimed, rubbing the top of his head, from where it had collided with the steel frame.

Steve shifted his gaze from Kono to Danny. Yeah I can see that. "Well, Danno?"

"Well what, Steve?" Danny asked nervously.

"Care to explain what that baby is doing in your car?"

Danny looked from Steve to Kono then back to Steve, his face reddening at an alarming rate. "Don't look at me! It's not mine."

"Are you sure, Bruddah?" Kono's face broke into a toothy grin and a chuckle seemed imminent.

"I'm serious; I really don't know how it got there!" Danny snapped. _If this were your car,_ Danny thought darkly, as he grew more annoyed.

"However it got there, we need to find out to whom this baby belongs," Steve commented, suddenly serious. "And it's far too warm in that car. Get the child out of there right, now."

Kono opened the car door, bent over and scooped up the bundle. The little girl whimpered and squirmed in his arms. Getting a closer look at the baby's fair skin and blonde hair, Kono chuckled. "Sure dis ain't your keiki, Danny? She looks just like you."

"She?" asked Danny. "How do you know it's a girl?"

"We need to call child services," Steve said, ignoring the question. "The parade will have to wait."

By the time they had returned to Steve's private office, their young charge had become increasingly restless and started to cry. Kono was more than ready to pass her off to one of his fellow detectives. He glanced at Danny, who was overtired and not in the best of moods. No, Steve was the better choice right now.

"Can you take her, Boss?" Kono asked. "I'll phone child services."

Steve took the baby from Kono and positioned her comfortably, or so he thought, on his left shoulder. The child continued to cry, and it was starting to grate on their nerves. _If only Chin or Jenny were here_, thought the lead detective. Chin was on vacation visiting family and Jenny was out sick that day. He was regretting his earlier generosity, allowing the rest of the secretarial staff to leave early to attend the parade. Kono hastily retreated to his own cubicle to make the call, away from all the noise.

After several minutes of rocking and bouncing the child to no avail, Steve looked in Danny's direction. "Your turn, Danno," he said with all the finality of any order he gave.

"Steve, maybe Doc should take a look at her, make sure she's okay," Danny suggested as he reluctantly took the little girl into his arms.

"You're right, Danno, good idea," Steve replied over the volume of the young one's fussing.

The baby continued to cry until, by chance, she raised her head and looked into Danny's face. Her crying abruptly stopped as she stared, transfixed, at the young detective's Pacific blue eyes. Steve held his breath, not daring to distract the child. After a few minutes, the baby nestled into Danny's chest and fell asleep.

"Sure she's not yours, Danno?" Steve whispered with a grin as he reached for his desk phone. This time, the teasing didn't bother Danny. He had relaxed with the child in his arms and had fallen under her spell. He slowly lowered himself into one of the leather chairs in front of the big desk.

Steve picked up the receiver and dialled the morgue.

"Hello, Doc? Can you spare a few minutes and come up to the Palace?"

"_Have you seen the traffic out there this morning, Steve?_" Bergman barked into the phone.

"I know, Doc, just get here whenever you can. Bring your bag. Thanks, Doc."

_I wonder what it is this time!_ thought the old coroner as he hung up the phone._ I need a vacation!_

The lead detective then disconnected the line and redialled the phone, this time the number of the HPD crime lab.

"Hello, Che? I'd like you to come to the office right away with your fingerprinting kit. We have an abandoned baby here and we'll need her footprints so we can compare them to recent birth records in local hospitals," Steve said. "Yeah, we'll wait for you. It may take you a while to make it through the parade traffic. Thanks, Che."

Steve hung up the phone and glanced over at his second-in-command who had nodded off in the leather chair, the sleeping child in his arms hugged closely to his chest. The older detective smiled and shook his head. _At least she's quiet now,_ he thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

The office door flew open and Kono Kalakaua entered at a brisk pace. "Boss, child serv…" he was cut off by Steve's stern glare and his hand gestures signalling him to be quiet. Casting an apologetic glance at his boss, Kono tip toed toward him and whispered, "Da lady at child services said dere ain't nobody to pick up da keiki til later today. She said it could be a long wait."

Steve sighed and stole a glance over at the small bundle nestled against his second-in-command's chest. To the casual observer, the tableau resembled that of a doting father and his baby lying contentedly in his arms. Soon Steve's cop mind took over his amused thoughts. Facing Kono once more, he ushered the younger detective out of his office. Closing the door quietly behind them, Steve motioned for them to head over to Kono's cubicle. No sooner had they taken two steps, an ear-splitting cry pierced their ears again. Groaning in unison, the two men stopped in their tracks, each contemplating whether they should head back inside or just ignore it in the hopes that Danny would be able to work his miracle again and calm the baby into silence. Seconds spread into minutes and their decision was made for them when they heard a panic-stricken voice call out, "Steve! Kono! I could use some help here!"

Glancing briefly at Kono, Steve wheeled around, pulled the door open and hurried into his office. Kono reluctantly followed at his heels.

Danny was on his feet, circling Steve's desk while rocking the baby gently in his arms and making cooing sounds in his attempts to stop its wailing. "Well it's about time you two showed up!" Danny all but shouted to be heard.

"Alright, calm down, Danno. What happened? What did you…" Steve's words seemed to leap back down into his throat. His nose wrinkled and each breath he took almost made him gag. "Oh!"

Sure enough, at the moment Steve realized what had happened, Kono's hand flew up to cover his mouth and nose. His normally tan skin was turning an odd shade of green, and he began to step backwards toward the open doorway.

"I think she needs her diaper changed!" Danny gasped out between breaths of foul smelling air.

"Kono! Open the windows!" Steve calmly ordered. He reached up and yanked at his tie to loosen the constricting material. "Danno, let's take care of this and make it fast!"

Danny carefully placed the baby on top of Steve's desk, keeping a hand cradled behind her head. Shrugging off his sports coat, Steve folded it into a small bundle and placed it beneath the baby's head, replacing Danny's supporting hand.

"Thanks, Steve," Danny said in a strained voice. With unsteady fingers he began to unbutton the jumpsuit. Fresh air blew in through the French doors and windows and relief washed over the three men's faces. The respite was only momentary as it wasn't until the diaper pin was unfastened that the full force of the unheavenly stench assaulted them. Danny held his breath while he continued the necessary task. Steve turned toward the open window and wiped his watering eyes. Kono lunged forward and made a grab for the waste paper basket beneath Steve's desk.

"Kono? You okay?" Danny called out to his greenish friend.

"I'm good. It's for da diaper!" Kono shot back as the wailing grew more insistent.

"No, not there! That smell is going to stay in this office unless we seal it…." Steve's voice trailed off as an idea formed in his mind. _Evidence bag!_ "Kono, open that drawer and pull out one of the larger sizes of those evidence bags."

The flustered Hawaiian detective did as he was instructed.

"Danno, when I give you the word, lift her legs up so I can get that diaper from under her. Ready?" Steve moved to stand next to his seat. The stress was clearly showing on Hawaii's top cop as strands of his normally immaculately kempt hair were beginning to fall out of place.

"We'll have to clean her first," Danny explained.

"There's a box of tissues on Jenny's desk. Hurry!" Steve ordered his second-in-command. His stomach was starting to churn horribly.

Danny raced out of the office. He returned in record time. On Steve's count, he gently lifted the child's legs as Steve gently cleaned her with wads of tissues.

Several minutes and half a box of tissues later, all three men agreed they did the best they could. After depositing the soiled diaper and tissues into the evidence bag, Kono ensured the seal was secured before he placed it beside the waste paper basket.

Steve, Danny and Kono stood back, sweat running freely down their faces, ties askew, jackets strewn on the floor and sleeves rolled up to their elbows. They looked at one another before Danny voiced the question on each of their minds, "What are we going use as a diaper?"

"Paper towels from da restroom?" suggested Kono, unable to think of anything else.

"No, too rough," said Steve, shaking his head. "Besides, I'm not sure how you'd fasten paper towels to a baby."

Danny sighed. _Aunt Clara always said that caring for a baby requires some sacrifices, _he mused as he debated whether or not to voice his only idea. _What the heck? _ "Kono, go in my office and grab my gym bag!"

"You ain't cuttin' out on us now, Bruddah," Kono said in a serious tone.

"No, just go get that bag and hurry!" Danny said, his voice rising in desperation. He had no idea how long the half-naked little girl would hold out until she felt the need to christen his boss's desk. Kono left Steve's office to retrieve the necessary item and Danny gazed down at the child, who looked up at him, clapped her tiny hands and giggled.

"Danno, I think you have another female admirer," Steve commented with a smile, causing his protégé to blush.

"I like them a_ lot_ older than this before I ask for a date, Steve," Danny replied with a grin.

Kono returned and handed Danny his gym bag. Danny opened the bag and pulled out the white t-shirt he had packed for his next tennis match. He spread the garment out on a corner of the desk and studied it for a few minutes, looking back and forth from the shirt to the baby and back again. He had no clue what he was doing, but he tried a few different combinations of folds, only to unfold the shirt and start again.

"Hey, can you fold a crane?" Kono asked with a smirk, suppressing the urge for an all-out belly laugh.

"I'm doing the best I can!" Danny shot back, finally deciding on a modified triangular shape. He careful lifted the baby's legs and slid the folded shirt beneath her, then brought one corner of his triangle up between her legs and the other two corners around her waist to meet the first corner. As carefully as he could, he pinned the t-shirt–turned-diaper securely in place, then replaced the plastic pants over his creation. "There, all done!" Danny said, smiling and meeting the little girl's eyes. She cooed and reached up toward Danny's face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

The now contented child on the big desk was the sole focus of the three detectives until Che Fong's voice diverted their attention as he entered the office. "I brought the printing kit, Steve," the forensic scientist said. "Want to introduce me to your little visitor?" Che's smile reached up to his eyes, making them twinkle. It had been years since his own children were that age. Danny lifted the baby from the desk and held her in his arms, giving Che a good look.

"She's a pretty one, Dan!" Che commented as he touched the little girl's cheek.

"Che, you have children," Steve began. "How old would you say she is? That will help narrow down the hospital records we'll have to search."

"Let's see, I'd say she's between ten and fifteen months. But to be safe, I'd check birth records from the past two years," Che answered. "Now let's get those prints." With the child seated securely in Danny's lap, Che removed her socks, carefully inked her feet and pressed each of them to a clean sheet of paper. Then he placed the fresh prints on Steve's desk to dry and wiped the excess ink from the tiny feet with a damp towel.

"Say, Che, would you mind staying a while, since you have some experience with babies?" Danny gamely requested, though he had an inkling he knew what the answer would be.

"Sorry Dan, but I was in the middle of cataloguing some evidence for HPD and I need to get back," Che replied apologetically. "I hope that you can find her family soon. By the way she is groomed and dressed, someone is bound to be missing her."

"Which brings us to the question of why was she abandoned in the first place? If her mother and father are in some kind of trouble, we need to find them. Gentlemen, we have work to do," Steve declared.

"But where do we start?" Kono asked.

"Kono, call HPD to see if any missing babies have been reported in the last twenty-four hours. Remember, we could be dealing with a custody dispute. Che, before you go, I need you to go through Danno's car with your fine-toothed comb. Get as many prints as you can and any other evidence that may help us solve this mystery. The driver's side door was jimmied open but the child was placed on the back seat so you should be able to lift something from the doors or the upholstery," Steve relayed his instructions.

"Right, Steve." Che gathered his equipment, and just as he was about to stoop down to pick up his bag, something caught his eye. His hands reached for the large clear bag sitting beside the waste paper basket; the plastic bag appeared to be filled with some unknown content. "Steve, would you like me take that for you? If you need it taken to the lab, I…"

"No!" Steve snapped, startling the forensic investigator. Rubbing a hand through his dark hair, he started again in a calmer tone, "Trust me, it's not the kind of evidence that needs to be tested. Just leave it alone. We had a hard enough time containing it."

"Oh, I see," Che smiled as comprehension dawned on his face. "Would you like me to take it down to the trash? I promise I won't open it," Che could barely contain a chuckle.

"I'd appreciate that," Steve replied coolly as he felt his cheeks smouldering with a rush of embarrassment.

o-o-o

By the time Che had dusted Danny's vehicle and returned to the Five-O office, Danny, Kono and Steve were running out of ways to keep the baby amused. With no missing babies reported in recent days, they had little to go on until Che worked his magic at the lab.

"Well, I've done all I can here. I'd better head back to the lab," Che said as he headed out the door, leaving three exhausted, dishevelled detectives behind.

Kono had the baby propped up on his knee as he made an array of funny faces while Danny lay on the sofa, snoring. In the last ten minutes Steve had already guzzled his second cup of percolated coffee. He stood out on the lanai, deep in thought as his steel blue gaze searched the streets below, wondering to whom the child belonged. _Somewhere out there, someone must love her._

Kono's face started to feel like a rubber mask as his tired muscles worked over-time to form amusing expressions as a source of entertainment for his audience. He wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. Looking up at the clock on the wall, Kono's stomach confirmed that a considerable length of time had lapsed since breakfast. Before long the baby's high-pitched laughter began to transform into an irritated whine. She began to squirm and her face screwed up in a frustrated scowl. In a desperate attempt to prevent the unstoppable, Kono uttered hushing sounds and rocked the child faster on his knee. This only served to further annoy her. Reflecting on his own discomforts, Kono wondered if the little girl was merely hungry. After all, she hadn't been given anything to eat or drink since she was discovered in the back seat of Danny's sedan. He looked up and called out to Steve, "Boss, I think da keiki's hungry."

Lost in thought, Steve failed to hear Kono as he continued to look out over the lanai. Kono glanced over at Danny who was still asleep on Steve's sofa. Not wanting to wake the dozing detective, Kono thought twice about raising his voice, but this was an emergency.

"Steve!" Kono practically shouted as one look into the red-faced baby told him that the floodgates were about to break open once again.

The noise jolted Danny out of his sleep so abruptly that the young detective toppled off the sofa and landed on the floor with a thud.

Broken out of his reverie, Steve hurried back into the office and took one look at Danny who was struggling to his feet before the sound of one unhappy baby diverted his immediate attention.


	4. Chapter 4

**Part 4**

"Kono, what is it, now?" Steve barked, which only made the head-splitting wail increase in decibels.

"She's hungry!" Kono replied.

"How do you know?" Steve asked sceptically.

"Because I'm starved so she must be too," Kono reasoned.

"Well, do we have anything that we can feed her?" Steve glanced at Danny then at Kono, hoping one of them had an answer.

Kono shrugged nervously and Danny massaged his forehead as he tried to think of ideas.

"Come on, gentlemen, think!" Steve snapped. His dark brown fringe fell over his forehead and into his eyes.

"Danny, go check out what Jenny has in da fridge!" Kono suggested.

"Good idea!" Danny left the room, rummaged through the small refrigerator next to the coffee supplies and confiscated an over-ripe banana and small carton of half and half that was almost empty. He peeled the banana, placed it in a clean coffee mug, added a bit of half and half and mashed it together with a plastic spoon. _That's the best I can do right now, little angel, I hope you'll like it, _he thought.

Danny brought his cup of improvised lunch into the office, took a seat on the sofa and motioned to Kono to pass him the hungry, crying baby, which the large Hawaiian was more than happy to do. Once settled in Danny's lap, the little girl looked up into his blue eyes and immediately stopped fussing. The young detective quickly scooped up a spoonful of banana mush and lifted it to her lips, and she eagerly ate.

"Well, look at that," Steve remarked, still amazed at the effect that his second seemed to have on the child. "I guess she _was_ hungry!"

Danny smiled and cooed at the child as he fed her, and she remained relaxed and content in his arms and enthralled with his attention to her. Steve and Kono exchanged amused glances, and Danny knew that this would provide plenty of ammunition for future teasing at his expense, but right now he didn't care. _Maybe someday…_ He had never really considered becoming a father before, but something about this felt very good. He thought about the times he had seen Chin with his children, and now he felt he had a new and deeper understanding. _Maybe someday…_

Danny's musings were interrupted when Doc Bergman trudged through the door, black bag in hand.

"What's the big emergency this time…" he began. His first question was cut short by the sight of the second-in-command of Five-O cradling a baby in his arms. Genuinely puzzled, the coroner looked from Danny to Steve, then back to Danny. "Danny? What's going on?" Bergman's bushy eyebrows shot up his forehead as he eyed the young detective.

"Don't you start too…" Danny pleaded, glaring at the doctor and listening to Kono doing his best to swallow his laughter.

"We found this baby abandoned in Danno's car this morning, Doc, and I want you to check her out, make sure she's okay," Steve answered, mercifully diverting attention away from his young second.

"I'm a coroner, not a pediatrician!" Bergman answered gruffly.

"Doc, please," Steve said, as he massaged his temples, his patience wearing thin.

The physician removed the stethoscope from his bag and hung it from his neck. Then he took the baby from Danny, placed her on the big desk and proceeded to unbutton the straps of her jumpsuit, revealing the makeshift diaper.

"What did you put on this child, your t-shirt?" Bergman asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"We did the best we could, Doc," Steve responded in all seriousness.

Once resigned to the task, Bergman actually enjoyed caring for the little girl. This happy, fresh, innocent life was a welcome change from examining murder victims or difficult Five-O detectives! After a quick once-over, Doc pronounced the child healthy and repacked his equipment. "Bye, Sweetheart," he said softly as he gave the little girl a quick kiss on the forehead.

"I hope you find out where she belongs, gentlemen," Bergman called on his way out the door.

"Kono," Steve said quietly. "Take these footprints to the hospitals and check them against the birth records for the last two years. Start with Queen's."

"Done, boss," the large detective replied as he took the sheet of paper and headed out the door, just as a phone rang in the outer office. A couple of minutes later, Kono reappeared. Steve looked up at him with a stern but curious expression.

"Dat was my cousin on da phone, Steve," Kono reported urgently. "And she knows who da keiki's mama is!"

Danny's head whipped up with renewed interest at the revelation and Steve prompted Kono to continue.

"My cousin, Lani, said her friend, Sally, told her she placed her baby in my car to keep her safe. It looks like she got da wrong car. Da baby's father wants to sell her to a couple on Maui. Sally said no way, but Lani said she was real scared he would take her after he threatened her," Kono explained before taking a deep breath.

"Selling babies is illegal. Did Lani give you the name and address of the baby's father?" Steve questioned with a hint of urgency behind his words.

"Sure did. His name's Tommy Hayden. Here's da address," Kono replied as he passed Steve a piece of paper with the address written on it.

"Good, Kono. Where's Sally, now?"

"At Lani's place."

"You better head over there and pick her up. She'll want to know her baby's safe and we'll need a statement from her," Steve instructed.

"Right, Boss," Kono acknowledged, then turned to leave.

"Hey Kono," Danny called out, stopping the Hawaiian detective in his tracks. "Did Lani tell you the baby's name?"

Kono chuckled and broke into a big grin. "It's Danielle!" he answered before he left.

"That figures," Danny said, mostly to himself.

"Danno, I'll have to leave you behind," Steve said, turning to his second-in-command.

"You're not going to see this Tommy Hayden by yourself, are you?" Danny asked, a tinge of worry creeping into his voice.

Steve raised an eyebrow at the younger man. _Fatherhood's turning you into a worry wart, Danno. _"Someone has to stay here with the baby. Don't worry, I'll call Duke if I need to," Steve assured him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Part 5**

Steve knocked on Tommy Hayden's front door as he stood outside the small, modest apartment. "Tommy? Tommy Hayden?" Steve called out. He was rewarded by the door opening a fraction of an inch, revealing a woman in her middle years. The detective flashed his badge and introduced himself. "I'm looking for Tommy Hayden. Is he home, ma'am?"

"I'm Martha Hayden. Tommy's my son. He's not here. Is he in some kind of trouble?" Martha Hayden asked coldly as she opened the door a bit further to get a better look at the detective.

"I'm afraid so, Mrs. Hayden. Do you have any idea where I can find him?"

"I expect he's with that tramp, Sally Connors. He left here ten minutes ago, muttering about that brat of theirs and something about Lana or Lani getting in his way. Whatever trouble he's in, I don't want to know. I warned him about getting involved with that girl!" Martha answered spitefully.

"Mrs. Hayden…" Steve began in a less than patient tone, but was cut short by the woman's sharp retort.

"Will that be all, Mr. Garrett?"

"It's _McGarrett _and yes, that will be all. Thank you for your…" before he could finish his sentence, the door was shut in his face. Shaking his head, Steve finished the sentence in his mind, adding a few choice words he wouldn't have spoken out loud. As he turned to leave, he thought back to what Mrs. Hayden had told him. Sally and Lani could be in trouble if Tommy was on his way to Lani's place. He hurried out of the building and made his way to his Mercury.

o-o-o

At the sight of her favourite cousin on her doorstep, Lani beamed and threw her arms around Kono's neck. "Mahalo for coming here. Sally's inside."

Kono entered the house and followed Lani to the living room. A young woman, around Lani's age, jumped up from the sofa. Her bright blue eyes were red rimmed and it became obvious to him she'd been crying.

"Sally, this is my cousin, Kono," Lani made the introductions.

"I'm so sorry for causing so much trouble! I know I should've gone inside to your office and explained it all to you but I panicked and…and…" Sally covered her face with her hands.

Just as Lani reached out to comfort the young woman, a threatening voice stopped her in her tracks, "Where is she?"

Kono instinctively reached for his gun as he turned to face the speaker behind him.

"Don't even try it!" Tommy Hayden warned. He cocked the pistol and aimed it at the Hawaiian's chest.

Kono eased his hands away from his jacket and held them up in a placating gesture. "Are you Tommy Hayden?" the detective asked in a calm voice.

"What's it to you?"

"Why don't we talk about dis? No need for dat gun. You're scaring da ladies," Kono began as he edged closer to the armed young man. Though he could see anger flaring in Tommy's eyes, he could also sense nervousness radiating off him. _Da kid's no killer but he could hurt someone if he don't put da gun away real soon._ Swallowing hard, Kono tried to not let his own emotions get the better of him as he thought about the safety of not just Sally but his cousin. He knew he had to remain calm and try to reason with Tommy to diffuse the situation before it reached the point of no return.

"Where's the kid, Sally?" Tommy ignored Kono and addressed the young blonde woman by the sofa.

"No! You're not going to sell our baby just so you can pay for your next fix!" Sally shot back defiantly. The hurt in her eyes morphed into anger as the mother in her took hold of her emotions.

"Hey, you agreed to give her up too!" Tommy shouted.

"I thought you wanted to do it for us and to give her a better life than we could offer! I was wrong! All you cared about was the money and what it could buy you! I was wrong to even think about giving her up!"

"Enough! Look, we've been through this already! Just tell me where she is and I'll let you and your friends go," Tommy ordered as he moved the pistol to point it at each of his hostages in turn to drive home his point. Perspiration trickled down his face and his dark brown hair glistened with sweat. He felt jittery, and the harder he tried to steady his hand, the more it shook until he felt the need to grip the gun with both his hands. "Tell me or I'll…"

"Easy, Bruddah. Dere ain't no turning back if you pull dat trigger and you know dat!" Kono interjected as he bravely moved to stand in between Tommy and the young women. As he tried to think about what to do next, he saw a familiar figure creeping out of the kitchen behind the unsuspecting gunman. _Steve_. The detective had his .38 drawn and a finger pressed against his lips signalling silence as he drew closer.

"Stay out of this!" Tommy growled.

Sally's eyes travelled to the point above Tommy's shoulder where she caught a glimpse of another man wielding a fire arm.

Noticing her friend was about to give the game away, Lani stepped on her foot. Sally took the hint and tore her eyes away from her fixation but not before Tommy saw the sudden shifting of glances taking place. He wheeled around and swung his arm to point the gun at whoever was behind him.

"Drop it!" Steve McGarrett ordered, the barrel of his pistol pointing directly at the young offender's heart. He took no solace in taking the life of another human being but he knew he would pull the trigger if needed to save the lives of others.

Tommy's eyes widened in surprise before his shoulders slumped in defeat. He lowered the gun then let it slip through his clammy fingers to fall onto the floor.

"Book him, Kono," Steve directed the Hawaiian detective who had already pulled out his hand cuffs.

"Bruddah, am I glad to see you! How'd you get in?"

"Same way he did. The window in the kitchen was open," Steve replied in answer to Kono's puzzlement.

Kono led a handcuffed Tommy out to his LTD and shoved him into the back seat while Steve escorted the two young women to his Mercury. Lani kept her arm around Sally, all the while whispering that it was all over now and everything would be okay. For the first time since the end of the standoff, Steve had the chance to take a good look at Sally. Her teary eyes were as blue as the Pacific and her sandy blonde curls cascaded down her shoulders and back.

The tall detective shook his head and grinned._ That explains a lot,_ he thought.


	6. Chapter 6

**Part 6**

Steve walked Lani and Sally up the stairs of the Iolani Palace to the Five-O office suite. On entering the outer office, from the closed door in front of them they heard a gentle tenor voice softly singing:

_Hush-a-bye, don't you cry, go to sleep my little baby._

_ When you wake, you shall have all the pretty little horses._

"I think that Danielle is in very good hands, Sally," Steve whispered as he quietly opened the large door to his private office, allowing the ladies to enter first. One look at her child and Sally forgot all else, hurried over to the young detective seated in the leather chair and took Danielle into her arms. Tears streamed down her face as she held her baby tightly and kissed her again and again.

"Oh, Danielle, I'd never, ever leave you again," she sobbed as the happy baby squealed with delight at the familiar embrace, her tiny hands grasping her mother's sandy curls.

Once the formalities of giving their statements and leaving their contact information were complete, Sally was given some privacy to make a phone call to her parents on the mainland. Danny took the liberty to hold Danielle in his arms once again. When the child's mother re-entered the office, Kono offered to drive her, Lani and Danielle home.

Sally placed a hand on Lani's arm and nodded. "I made my decision about going back. Thank you for everything," the young blonde woman pulled Lani into a tight embrace.

"I'll miss you but you couldn't have made a better decision. Don't forget to visit and send me lots of pictures of Danielle," Lani whispered in a husky voice as tears of both sadness and happiness for her friend formed in her soft brown eyes.

The three men in the room exchanged confused glances as they waited for the girls to break apart.

"Hoahanau, if it's not too much trouble would you drive Sally and Danielle to the airport? They have a plane to catch," Lani addressed Kono as she stepped back from Sally and wiped her eyes.

"Where are you going, Sally?" Kono asked.

"A wise friend convinced me to talk to my parents about Tommy," Sally began, smiling and casting a knowing glance at the Hawaiian woman beside her. "They asked me to go back to the mainland and stay with them until Danielle and I are ready to make a fresh start. I wasn't sure at first. My father and I don't always see eye to eye but I've decided that some things are worth giving a chance," Sally continued in a croaky voice that betrayed feelings she never meant reveal to the room at large.

"I'm sure things will be different now," Steve nodded in Danielle's direction.

Suddenly, Danny realized that Danielle was leaving and it brought a lump to his throat. He swallowed and attempted to steady his voice. "Would you mind if I drove along to see her off?"

"Danielle and I would love that very much," Sally replied warmly then turned to face the tall, dark and handsome man beside him. "Mr. McGarrett…"

"Please, call me Steve," the lead detective corrected. A crooked grin broke at the corner of his mouth, taking away the years and tension that came with the responsibilities of his job.

"Steve, I'm sorry, I never thought to ask but am I legally allowed to leave the islands after everything that's happened?" Sally asked, a little concerned.

"Tommy made a confession and intends to plead guilty for his crimes. Unless you'd like to be present during his sentencing, you and Danielle are free to go," Steve assured the young mother. As he continued to peer into her eyes, he saw another question within their depths. "He's going to get the help he needs. No one was hurt today and he has no prior record. Everyone makes their own decisions on how to live their lives. Sometimes we make the wrong choices but it's not too late for Tommy to redeem himself. If he chooses to do the right thing, he'll get another chance, one day."

Sally nodded and smiled to each of the three men in turn. "Thank you, _all of you_ for everything you've done for Danielle and me."

Lost for words, the men could only nod in response. Though each of them knew the oath they took to protect the innocent, what they felt now was beyond the call of duty.

"We best get you two to the airport. Will you need to pick up your things?" Steve was first to break the awkward silence.

"I have my travel bag at Lani's which is where I've spent the last couple of nights."

"We can swing by on the way," Danny offered reluctantly as the time came for him to relinquish his hold on the little girl who filled his heart with something of which he'd always been afraid.

Together, the three Five-O detectives, Lani, Sally and baby Danielle left the Palace and after a quick stop at Lani's home, they headed for the Honolulu airport.

o-o-o

With her airline ticket in hand, Sally Connors bid farewell to her companions at the terminal. When at last she turned to face Danny, she could see the sadness in his ocean blue eyes as clearly as the bright Hawaiian sky. _Someday,_ _he'll be the kind of father that every child deserves. But not today. Today, the people of Hawaii deserve him as their protector._

"May I hold her one last time?" Danny asked. It would be well worth the teasing he would later endure. Sally nodded and transferred the child to Danny's arms.

One pair of bright blue eyes met another. Danielle touched Danny's face and giggled. Danny's brow wrinkled from the ache in his heart. Steve stood close by, concerned for what he could plainly see was happening to his best friend: he had become too attached and it hurt. After one last hug and kiss, Danny passed the soft cooing angel back to her mother and watched as they passed through the gates and disappeared from view. A hand clapped him on his shoulder and he turned to see Steve smiling down at him.

"Let's go, Danno. We might still catch the last of the parade." Steve turned to leave, guiding Danny away from the terminals with an arm around his shoulder. A grin slowly spread across Danny's face when he overheard Kono whining to Lani about missing lunch.

o-o-o

A week had passed and things were back to normal at Five-O headquarters. All four detectives were back in the office; Jenny had the first pot of coffee ready and was sorting the morning mail. She left her desk and poked her head into Danny's cubicle.

"Package for you, Danny," Jenny said in her cheerful voice.

"Thanks, Jenny," the detective answered, taking the small parcel wrapped in brown paper.

Danny returned to his desk and after quickly reading the return address, he tore away the paper to reveal a white t-shirt, freshly laundered and neatly folded. On top of the shirt was a small photograph of Danielle, all smiles and reaching out to the camera. Danny ran his finger over the sweet face, the image tugging at his heart. He smiled back at the photo, his brief encounter with fatherhood permanently etched in his soul. Then he tucked the photo into the inside pocket of his jacket and stuffed the shirt into his gym bag before anyone else could notice.

**Pau**


End file.
